Back to the salt mines
Longtime local chef coasts into South Austin with new seafood restaurant

Chef Jack Gilmore is setting sail for uncharted waters. On January 2, the fixture of the North Austin dining scene announced he was headed south to open a second location of Round Rock seafood restaurant Salt Traders Coastal Cooking.
According to a release, the new Salt Traders will be located at 1101 S. Mopac Expy. in Barton Oaks Plaza. Gilmore and business partner Tom Kamm will use the same formula they used at the original by keeping the focus on approachable cuisine and quality sourcing.
“We’ve built strong relationships with incredible oyster mongers, fish mongers, and local farmers and are happy to continue to cultivate these relationships at a second location,” said Gilmore via release. “The chefs at Salt Traders will have the best tools and toys in the kitchen to play with, giving them the ability to create some incredible food for the community.”
Culinary director Chris Ten Eyck will again be overseeing the kitchen. Although the final menu has not been released, a rep tells CultureMap that it will be similar but not identical to the Round Rock offerings, which include a variety of globally inspired seafood dishes from Italian cioppino to Southern shrimp and grits.
Beverage director David Toby’s drink menu will also look to the coast for inspiration with a mix of classic and original cocktails. The restaurant will serve draft, bottle, and canned beers and a curated selection of wines.
Austin-based Levy Architects has been tasked with transforming the former home of Texas Land & Cattle to a contemporary space awash in the brand’s signature blue, gray, and white color palette.
“We are excited to once again repurpose an existing space, this time in the Zilker Park area, that we can make our own and create a space for the community to gather together,” said Kamm in a release. “We’re also thrilled to be close to downtown and other neighborhoods with plenty of parking, which is very rare to come by in the Austin area these days.”
Salt Traders is shooting for an opening in late summer 2019 — just in time to feed ACL Music Fest-goers heading to and from nearby Zilker Park.